the weight of yesterday taken off
by MissingMommy
Summary: Charlie surprises Draco with his Christmas gift.


Draco grumbles the entire time that Charlie leads him down the sidewalk, the snow crunching under their boots with each step. It amuses him to no end, despite his stomach twisting with nerves. Draco has never been one for surprises. When he stops, Draco's hands immediately go to the powder blue scarf that's wrapped around his head, obscuring his vision.

He frowns when he sees the Muggle shops around them. The word _tattoo_ flashes in the window. "What is this about?"

Charlie rubs at the back of his neck with gloved hands. He keeps his voice low while he explains so the Muggles bustling around them can't overhear. "You said that you wish you could get rid of it." His eyes drops deliberately to where the Dark Mark is hiding under Draco's left sleeve. "Well, they can cover it up. I considered wizarding tattoo parlours, but that didn't seem like a good idea."

He grimaces at the thought of someone deliberately giving a wonky tattoo out of spite. While the wizarding community has moved on from the war, there's still a lot of grudges held against former Death Eaters who got off with no time served or just a few years in Azkaban. He has a lot of faith in people, but he doesn't think that someone would be willing to cover up the Dark Mark, regardless of price. He wants to make sure that Draco gets something beautiful, not something he'll hate just as much.

The scarf is still in Draco's hand as he looks at the shop. He doesn't move a muscle which causes Charlie to question his strategy. Maybe talking about this before he brought his boyfriend to the shop would've been better. Words spill out of his mouth before he consciously decides to say them.

"You don't have to do it. I'm not implying that I want you to cover it if that's not what you want. I just thought it would be a good idea since you said—"

"It's impossible to cover up," Draco says finally, interrupting Charlie's nervous ramblings.

He gives the other man a grin. "You won't know until you try."

The blond still doesn't look convinced. "Don't I need an outline or something?"

Charlie produces a piece of parchment from his pocket. He unfolds it carefully and shows Draco. He's drawn a dragon surrounded by narcissus flowers, as his boyfriend told him that he wanted to cover the Mark with the one night they talked about it. He grins at Draco's awestruck expression.

"You remembered," he whispers softly, taking the parchment from Charlie's hands to study it more. After a long moment, Draco sighs. "Fine. We can try."

He grins victoriously; he was expecting a little more argument over the fact that he chose a Muggle shop, but it seems that his boyfriend came to the same conclusion he did. A bell sounds when he opens the door to the tattoo parlour for them.

Instinctively, he shakes off the snowflakes sticking in his hair, not realizing he was freezing until the warmth surrounds him. There is a man at the desk in front of them, sofas and chairs, and several rooms. He can hear the sounds of the tattoo guns from the doorway.

"How can I help you?"

Charlie turns towards Draco, who looks nervous. He slips his hand into Draco's and squeezes comfortingly. It seems to give the other man enough courage to move gracefully across the room.

Draco pulls up his sleeve, revealing the Dark Mark to the man. "I'd like to get this covered up, if possible."

"Ah yes, the cover up appointment. What would you like?" The man takes the proffered parchment from Draco's hand and looks it. After explaining the price, he pulls papers for Draco to sign.

It's only after they've sat down to wait for the tattoo artist to finish up with their last client when the receptionist's words seem to finally dawn on Draco. Charlie laughs and admits sheepishly, "I may have booked an appointment beforehand so you could get it done today if you wanted it."

The artist comes out and greets Draco after she's done. She grins when Draco shares the drawing with her. "Well, come on back and we can get started."

Once the blond is lead away, Charlie gets up to pay the receptionist; this is only one part of Draco's Christmas gift. Charlie idly flips through all the artist books while he waits, cursing that he didn't bring something to entertain himself.

He's utterly bored when Draco finally emerges from the room with his left arm wrapped, his tattoo artist giving him the rundown of tattoo care.

"Wait a few hours before you take that off. Wash with non-scented soap several times a day. If you notice any swelling, elevate and ice it. You can call if you have any other concerns."

Draco nods his understanding.

It's not until later that night that Charlie sees the finished product. The dark red-purple dragon distracts from the Dark Mark underneath, and the yellow of the narcissus flowers compliments it well. The woman did an amazing job.

When Draco kisses him, Charlie can't help but think it was an excellent idea.

"Thank you," Draco whispers against his lips.

* * *

Insane: 995. Genre - Romance

365: 150. Genre - Romance

Character Appreciation: 7. Word: Strategy

Cookie's crafts: scarf - Word set: freezing, gift, sharing, wonky and comfort.

Amber's Attic: G2 - Write about someone getting a tattoo (not the Dark Mark)

Lyrics: 20. Well fire away 'cause today I won't let the shame sink in

Em's Emporium: 7. CharlieDraco

Angel's Arcade: 1. Sub Zero: (object) ice, (weather) snowing, (color) powder blue

Film: 54. (word) Hiding

Gryffindor: Charlie

Tearoom: Champagne Cocktail: (restriction) Word Count: 876

Holmes: Cover Up by Imagine Dragons

Dragons: 876

Writing month: 876


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